Pilkington joins GIC consortium aiming to improve UK food production

The pioneering new group of researchers, growers and manufacturers seek to boost the country's food production by unlocking the potential of greenhouses. 

The Greenhouse Innovation Consortium (GIC), spearheaded by Dr Sven Batke, Reader in Plant Science at Edge Hill University, was launched to address critical challenges facing the UK greenhouse industry. 

The collaboration - with Pilkington UK, Glass Futures, Philipps, FlavourFresh and CambridgeHOK - will look to accelerate innovation and propel the industry forward by fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing. 

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Dr Anna Colley from Pilkington UK, said the firm has launched "a dedicated greenhouses glass range, that has been designed to help growers to optimise the light growing environment in their greenhouses".

She added: "By partnering up with GIC members we can run more commercially realistic trials and develop more customer-focused products." 

Glass Futures is a global not-for-profit research and technology, membership organisation, with its centre based on James Roby Way.

The group aims to improve UK food production with better greenhouses (Image: Submitted)

Dr Batke, GIC founder and chairperson, said: "The UK greenhouse industry possesses immense potential to play a leading role in sustainable food production. However, navigating complex challenges requires collective action and innovative solutions. 

“The GIC brings together the collective expertise and resources of leading players across the industry to create a collaborative ecosystem that fosters innovation and drives positive change. 

"In the UK, we are still heavily reliant on food imports from abroad. For example, 80 per cent of fruit and over half of vegetables are being imported. This reliance has made the UK very vulnerable." 

Dr Sven Batke (Image: Submitted)

The consortium aims to utilise, develop and test cutting-edge technologies to enhance crop quality, yield and resilience, and help growers improve resource use and develop more sustainable practices. 

It will also seek to provide scientific evidence on new materials and practices that can help businesses to 'de-risk' and provide training and networking opportunities to enable knowledge transfer and innovation.

The group will support growers to become more competitive and resilient to fluctuating markets and build capacity in the greenhouse manufacturing sector by leading grower-informed product development. 

The GIC’s diverse membership reflects the consortium's efforts to encompass all aspects of the greenhouse industry. It will aim to foster collaborative research and development to deliver tangible benefits for members and the wider UK horticultural sector. 

The group aims to improve UK food production with better greenhouses (Image: Submitted)

Noel O'Leary from CambridgeHOK added: "The UK industry has always been at the forefront of innovation, while dwarfed by the Netherlands, and the associated efficiencies this drives, innovation such as this, helps to level the playing field. It’s great to see the UK once again driving global innovations."  

Estimates from the GIC suggest that 70% of greenhouses in the UK are more than 40 years old. Greenhouses, compared to outside growing, can provide all year round food. However, the sector in the UK has had very little investment and growth. 

The GIC has developed several strategies to work on joint ventures over the coming years, including the recent testing of new glass coating technologies designed at Edge Hill University’s Ormskirk campus. 

Dr Batke added: "It’s an exciting and important time for the UK greenhouse industry, and we are excited to support local businesses and train the next generation of plant scientists that can positively affect the industry.”